Hey Jealousy
by CrypticGirl
Summary: Senel develops a huge crush on the new girl on the Legacy. Afraid that Senel will leave the party for her, Chloe, Shirley, Moses, and Jay do the unthinkable to get him back....with side effects. Ch. 5 added 12.20.07.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: ToL belongs to Namco still.

Chapter 1

"Hey guys, I have a serious question for you," Norma said as the group sat on the floor in Senel's living room. "Where was the weirdest place that you've had passion?"

Will's eyes widened. "I beg your pardon?"

"Here, I'll go first," Norma continued. "My weirdest place would have to be the Crystal Forest."

"My weirdest place would have to be the Misty Mountains," Moses said.

"What about you, JJ?" Norma asked.

"My weirdest place? Probably...the Legacy's bridge," Jay replied.

"You don't mean during the battle with Vaclav?" Will asked.

"Yes, that's right."

"C?" Norma asked.

"Uh...I'd have to say...the Waterways," Chloe said.

"Oh, say no more. I know exactly what happened."

Chloe looked at her oddly. "No, you don't. You weren't even there."

"What about you, Shirley?" Senel asked.

"Hmm...my weirdest place would have to be...under the sea," Shirley said.

"Oooh..." the others cooed.

"Senny, what about you?" Norma asked.

"I think my weirdest place would have to be...in Will's bedroom," Senel responded.

"What!?" Will snapped.

"Oh hell..." Senel grumbled.

Will stood up, marched over to Senel, and bonked him on the head.

"Ha ha, Senny got bonked!" Norma sang.

Will turned around and bonked her as well.

"Ow! Teach, what was that for?"

"Just in case," Will told her.

Before the conversation could continue, Harriet came into the house with a stack of pies.

"Hey, everyone!" she called. "I brought some homemade rhubarb pie! Doesn't that hit the spot?"

Everyone's faces soured. "Nope..."

Harriet passed out the slices of pie despite everyone's protests.

"So how did you find passion in Raynard's room?" Chloe asked Senel.

"Well..." Senel scratched his head. "I wasn't feeling good at the time, so I don't remember what happened in that room..."

"I can't imagine being in a situation where you just had to have someone right then and there."

Senel looked at her oddly. "Neither can I. I guess it was one of those times when I was feeling down, and I just needed someone."

Chloe nodded. "Yeah, though I think that passion is definitely overrated. Eventually, it just burns out. But hopefully you'll be left with trust and security."

"Yeah, you're right. Stella and I didn't have that much passion, and yet...I trusted her."

"But you know something, Coolidge? I see great passion in your future."

"Thanks, Chloe." Senel smiled as he patted Chloe on the shoulder. "Well, I'm off to Port-on-Rage."

"See you later, Senel," Will called as Senel left the house.

"Wow..." Moses whispered. "Senel and Chloe really have somethin', don't they?"

Jay shook his head. "It's never gonna happen."

Moses threw him a look. "Why not?"

"She waited too long to make her move, and now she's stuck in the Friend Zone."

"What zone? She ain't in no zone."

"She's the queen of the zone."

"A queen? Whoa..."

Jay rolled his eyes. "Never mind."

"Hey..." Moses suddenly changed the subject. "Why's Senel goin' to Port-on-Rage?"

"He's just going to monitor the ships that come in," Jay said. "Security has tightened since Vaclav and Solon came on board the Legacy, and after that army invaded."

"Oh yeah, we wouldn't want any more of those guys..." Moses lamented.

-------------------

Senel stepped onto the wooden deck at Port-on-Rage. He simply stood, observing the people as they disembarked from their boats. Suddenly, a woman screamed from behind him.

As Senel turned around, he spotted a Phynx flying above the deck. The people began to panic, scrambling and trying to find their way out. Senel waited for the dock to clear before raising his fists in a fighting stance.

As the monster dove at him, Senel leaped into the air, then darted at it with his Phoenix Strike attack. Struck by the attack, the monster fell, hitting the ground with a thud.

Senel rushed in at the monster again, but it got up and took to the air again. Senel chasted after it until it gently landed in a girl's arms.

Senel stopped to look at this girl. She had pale white skin, and she wore a black schoolgirl dress. She had long black hair, and she had different colored eyes, green and blue.

"Hi..." Senel said, entranced.

"Hi..." the girl responded in a sultry voice.

"Wow..."

-----------------

"Hmm...I wonder how things are going at Port-on-Rage?" Chloe said aloud. "Maybe I should go help Coolidge..."

"Is that the only reason you wanna go there, C?" Norma asked.

"What? O-Of course that's the only reason!"

At that moment, Senel came into the house with the girl on his arm.

"Hey, everyone," Senel said. "I'd like you all to meet Sadie."

Sadie went and shook hands with each of the party members as Senel introduced them. "This is Shirley, Will, Chloe, Norma, Moses, Jay, and Grune."

"Hello, Sadie," Grune said sweetly.

"It's good to meet you all." Sadie took Senel's arm again, caressing his chest with one hand.

"So where did she come from?" Chloe asked.

"She just boarded the Legacy at Port-on-Rage," Senel replied. "Isn't that great?"

"Yeah, it's great." Then Chloe whispered to Shirley, "And she keeps touching him."

"Yeah..." Shirley whispered back.

"Come on, Sadie, I'll show you around the town," Senel said.

"Oh, I'd like that," Sadie responded.

She took Senel by the arm again as they both left the house. Chloe, Shirley, Moses, and Jay stood up and lined up, staring at the door.

"Just look at him," Chloe said. "They just met, and she's already all over him."

"Oh my," Grune gushed. "It's nice that Senel found someone new."

"What!?" Chloe and Shirley exclaimed.

"Senel has been sad ever since Stella died," Grune continued. "Now he can be happy again."

"She stands there like she wants Senel on her plate," Moses said. "And he stands there lookin' like a happy meal! This ain't right!"

"He seems like an entirely different person," Shirley said.

"This ain't right!" Moses yelled again. "We haveta get him back!"

"Wait a minute," Will stood up. "What do you mean 'get him back'?"

"Well, look at him! It's like he don't even care about us no more!" Moses said.

"I have to agree," Jay added. "He seemed quite eager to be alone with her."

"I think you guys are just jealous," Norma said.

"What? No, we're not jealous," Chloe insisted.

Will shook his head. "Well, I think you all are just jumping to conclusions. I mean, we don't even know Sadie. It's best if we got to know her better before we make these conclusions."

"Well, you have a point," Jay admitted.

"Then let's get to know Sadie a bit better," Chloe said.

The others nodded. "Right."

The four quietly left the house, leaving Will, Norma, and Grune in the room.

"Well, Teach," Norma said. "Looks like it's just you and me...and G-Girl."

"Hello..." Grune said with a smile.

"I know better," Will said out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Norma asked.

"I'm curious as to what they mean by 'getting to know Sadie better.' I'd better keep an eye on them, just in case."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After returning to Senel's house several hours later, Chloe, Shirley, Moses, and Jay sat in the living room, watching the time go by. The entire room was filled with silence, and the room was slowly getting dark from the sunset.

Shirley was picking the petals from a flower. "He loves her...he loves her not...he loves her...he loves her not." Then she picked the final petal. "He loves her..."

"Not..." Jay spat.

The group let out a melancholy sigh. At that moment, Norma and Grune came into the house.

"Hey, how come it's all dark and gloomy in here?" Norma asked, turning on the lights.

"Oh my..." Grune gushed. "You're all so gloomy."

The group stood up at once.

"It's that new girl, Sadie," Shirley said. "She only just came onto the Legacy, and Senel is already all over her."

"We've never even touched him the way she has," Chloe added.

"Not that I'm that desperate," Jay said.

"So you're still going on about that?" Norma scoffed. "You're all just jealous. This is all just a fling! It won't last very long, trust me."

"Are you sure?" Shirley asked. "He seems to be even more in love with her than he was with Stella."

"You can't even compare her with Stella," Chloe grumbled.

"It's just a crush," Norma told them. "Crushes may be really strong, but it burns out fast."

"But look how long it's been since he left to show her the city!" Chloe protested.

Norma sighed. "Okay, if you're that worried, we can check on them again. They happen to be at Lumen Spring as we speak."

"Lumen Spring?" Chloe and Shirley gasped.

"Well, what're we waitin' fer?" Moses jumped in. "Let's get goin'!"

"Right," Jay agreed.

----------------------

Senel stood in front of Lumen Spring with Sadie. But instead of admiring the spring, they gazed up at the stars in the sky.

"If you look at the arrangement of the stars, you can see shapes," Sadie explained. "Those are called constellations.

"Yeah...it's amazing," Senel responded.

Unbeknownst to them, the rest of the group was peering around the tall bush off to the side.

"Blah-blah-blah, blah, blah..." Moses mocked with a graceful hand gesture. "Blah-blah-blah, blah, blah...blah-blah-blah...blah-blah, la la la la..."

Jay half-smiled at the mock, but continued to look disgusted at the scene.

Laughing softly, Senel began to wander away from the spring.

Shirley gasped. "He's coming this way!"

Senel stopped when he noticed the group. "Hey...what are you guys doing here?"

"Oh..." Chloe and Shirley blushed, avoiding eye contact with him. "N...nothing..." they said in unison.

"We were just, uh...playing hide-and-seek," Norma lied.

Grune pressed her finger into Norma's shoulder. "Tag...you're it..." she sang in her usual airheaded voice.

"Hey!" Norma cried in protest.

"You guys, what am I doing?" Senel asked. "This isn't me at all. It's totally rapid, and we have nothing in common. But I haven't felt so...complete since Stella died."

Silently, Moses grabbed Jay, clamping a hand over his mouth. He dragged the boy behind the fountain, where Jay managed to break free.

"What the hell are you doing, you stupid bandit!?" Jay growled.

"Shh!" Moses snapped. "Didja hear that? Senel finally feels complete after Stella's death."

"Ah..." Jay sighed. "I can see trouble coming for Senel. Like you said, Senel is nothing more than a happy meal on Sadie's plate."

"But Bubbles said that it'll only last a little while. It's not like Senel would leave the Legacy for her."

"Guess what, you guys," Senel told the others. "Sadie asked me to go to the mainland with her."

"Then again, maybe he would..." Jay muttered softly.

He and Moses quickly rejoined the others.

"So...are you going to go?" Shirley asked.

"I'm...not sure yet," Senel replied.

"But you're considering it?" Chloe asked.

"Well...yeah. Why do you ask?"

Chloe only laughed sheepishly as she wandered out to the spring, where Sadie stood. "Sadie, hi!" she said, half cheerfully.

Sadie turned to her with a sweet smile. "Chloe..."

"There's...something you should know," Chloe explained. "Coolidge is...part of our group."

"Oh...really?" Sadie responded.

"Yes...we are a group...more like a family," Chloe went on. "What I'm saying is that...Coolidge should be together with us. And if you get..."

"In bed?" Sadie asked, cutting her off.

"No!" Chloe quickly blushed. "That's...not where I was going. See, if you get in the _way_ of us being together...then we will be very sad."

"Oh, okay!" Sadie nodded.

"So you...understand?"

"Yes, yes, I understand."

"Well...great." Chloe let out a sigh of relief as she began to walk away.

"Except..." Sadie began.

Chloe paused and turned to face her. "Yes?"

"Senel already told me that he would come to the mainland with me."

Chloe's eyes widened to twice their size. "That's...that's not what he told us. He told us that he wasn't sure."

"Oh? I guess that makes him a liar, now doesn't it?"

"But Coolidge would never do that. If he decided to go to the mainland, he would tell us."

"Oh...there are some things people just can't talk about."

Chloe only stared at the girl in shock for a moment. She then turned and ran to join the rest of the group...but Senel was nowhere to be found.

"Hey...where'd Coolidge go?" she asked.

"He went home," Moses said simply.

"Ugh!" Chloe grunted in frustration. "That girl Sadie just said that Coolidge agreed to go to the mainland."

"What? That's not what he told us!" Shirley protested.

"I know. Now I don't know what's going on. Did Coolidge really agree? Or was Sadie just saying that to...to..."

Before Chloe could finish, Sadie walked by calmly, completely ignoring the group as she hummed an incoherent tune to herself. The group paused and watched her carefully until she was out of sight.

"I hate that woman..." Moses mused.

"I don't like her either..." Shirley said.

"So what do you propose we do?" Jay asked.

"Well...we could have a talk with him," Shirley suggested.

"Yeah, we definitely have to let him know how we feel," Norma agreed.

"Oh...I don't want Senel to say goodbye," Grune said sadly.

"Right now, let's just go to bed," Norma said. "We'll see what's going on tomorrow."

The others nodded in agreement, then quietly began to leave the spring.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was about midday when the group (minus Senel) gathered at Will's house. They hadn't seen Senel all morning, but they all assumed that he was with Sadie...somewhere.

"I wonder if Senel's okay?" Shirley mused.

"I'm sure he's fine..." Moses responded. "Sadie's probably draggin' him around on a leash, and Senel's droolin' like a dog..."

Giet let out a pitiful whimper.

"Relax, Giet; I ain't talkin' about you," Moses told him.

Will stood up. "Well, I have work to do upstairs. Just holler if you need anything."

The group let out a sigh as they merely waved at him.

"I really think you're jumping to conclusions too soon," Will added. "Even if he is in love with Sadie, he'll still be part of our group."

"Well...I guess..." Shirley muttered.

Will headed upstairs, retiring to his room and closing the door. The room remained silent for another moment when the front door opened, and Senel and Sadie came in.

"Hey, guys," Senel said.

"Hello, Senel..." the group muttered in unison.

Senel paused. "What's with you?"

"Ah...nothing," Chloe lied.

Ignoring the group, Sadie only addressed Senel. "Thank you so much for doing this for me, Senel. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Now wait just a minute!" Moses exploded, jumping to his feet. "Just what're ya doin', Senel?"

"There's going to be a banquet tonight at the inn," Senel told him. "Haven't you heard about it? Curtis was going door-to-door passing out flyers for it."

"That's right," Sadie added. "Senel and I are going tonight, and we're going to celebrate our passion with dinner...and dance."

Shirley's eyes widened. "Dinner?"

"And dance?" Chloe added.

"And that's not all!" Sadie went on. "There's even going to be a special performance by the Bantam Bouncers! Oh, I've always wanted to see them in person!"

"You know I'm not a big fan of the Bouncers," Senel said. "But I'll do it for Sadie since she's a big fan..."

"See?" Sadie gushed. "Now that's what I call...true...love..."

"Nyah...nyah...nyah..." Moses and Jay mocked in unison.

Chloe leaned in and said softly, "Norma, I thought you said this was just a fling. Shouldn't it be...flung by now?"

"Don't panic, you guys," Norma whispered back. "After this banquet thing, this whole fling thing should be over."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and the group could hear Curtis' voice. "Open in the name of Her Excellency!"

"I'll get it!" Shirley ran to the door and opened it.

"Here you go, Miss Fennes," Curtis said, handing Shirley the flyer.

"Oh, thank you," Shirley said as she gently closed the door. "This must be the flyer that Senel was talking about."

"Yeah, that's it," Senel confirmed.

Shirley opened the flyer and read it out loud. "Banquet and dance tonight on the lower level of the inn. Special appearance by the Bantam Bouncers. Formal apparel required...couples only."

"Oh my...that sounds very romantic," Grune gushed.

"Now I'd like to propose a toast." Sadie went to the kitchen and gathered nine glasses, then passed them out to everyone. She then filled a pitcher with water and began pouring it into the glasses.

"I don't understand, but all right," Chloe said.

"Yeah, why not," Moses added.

The group extended their glasses as Sadie gave her speech.

"I'm really happy to have met all of you, and to meet a man with whom I can share my love. I really admire the friendship you all share. But all things must come to an end."

"Guys...I've made a decision," Senel said. "Sadie and I have booked passage on the boat. Tomorrow morning...we're going back to the mainland."

Everyone's eyes became wide with shock. All at once, they opened their hands, letting the glasses fall, shattering on the floor.

"Isn't it great!?" Sadie yelled in excitement. "Come on, Senel, we need to start getting ready for the banquet."

"All right," Senel replied. "Listen, guys. I had a really good time with all of you. I'll be sure to keep in touch."

"See ya!" Sadie called with a smile. "Wouldn't wanna be ya!"

With that, the couple turned and left the house. The room was filled with silence once again, as the group continued to stare wide-eyed at the door.

Finally, Moses broke the silence. "So...that's it? It's over? Just like that!?"

"Okay, girls..." Norma said. "Now we can panic."

"Aaah!!" Norma, Chloe, Shirley, and Moses began to dash around the room in different directions, screaming and panicking. After standing confused for a moment, Grune began to panic as well. Only Jay remained in his seat, looking thoroughly annoyed. He reached out, grabbing Moses by the wrist, and pulled him straight to the floor.

"Ow!" Moses got up, holding his head. "What in the hell was that for!?"

Jay smiled. "I didn't know you were a girl, Moses."

The girls stopped running, but continued to panic in place.

"Oh Nerifes! Oh Nerifes, this is horrible!" Shirley cried. "What are we going to do!?"

"This is an outrage!" Moses roared.

"Indeed!" Chloe agreed. "This is thoroughly _unacceptable_!" She stomped her foot down on the floor.

"It would help if you all stopped panicking and start thinking of an idea," Jay said.

"Why should we have to think about anything?" Moses asked. "That's yer job!"

Jay looked at him silently for a moment. "Let me just leave before I lose my intelligence." He stood up, quickly leaving the house.

At about the same time, Will came downstairs to check on the group. "Is everything all right? I heard some commotion."

"Teach, you gotta do something!" Norma cried. "Senny's gonna go to the mainland with Sadie tomorrow morning!"

"Oh..." Will looked surprised. "Well, if it's his choice, there's nothing we can do about it."

"But it ain't right!" Moses protested. "We're supposed to be a big happy family! And now that bitch Sadie's gonna ruin everything!"

"I know!" Norma said. "Senny only has a crush on her because she's oh-so romantic. What we need to do is go to that banquet and show him that we can be romantic, too!"

"Norma, that's—" Will started, before he was cut off.

Harriet entered the house. "Hey, guys."

"Shh!" Norma hissed. "We're talking about how to get Senny away from that new girl."

Harriet glared. "You mean Sadie?"

"Huh? You know her?"

"Of course! She and Senel have been bragging all over the city. They're going to that couples-only banquet tonight."

"And we're gonna go make Sadie's life a livin' hell," Moses said.

"But it's for couples only!" Harriet cried. "Who are we going to go with?"

"Oh, that's easy," Norma said. "Shirl can go with Red, and C can go with JJ."

"What about you?" Shirley asked.

"Oh, I'll go with Teach, of course!"

"Hello!?" Harriet called.

"Err..." Norma looked at the remaining people – herself, Will, Harriet, and Grune. "Hmm...couples only...I wonder if that means just romantic dates?"

Shirley picked up the flyer and read some more of the info out loud. "Let's see...all ages welcome...all couples welcome. Parents, spouses, siblings, friends, sons, daughters, boyfriends, girlfriends, gays, lesbians, the whole nine yards."

"Gimme that!" Norma snatched the flyer from her. "That's not what it says!"

"Yeah-huh!" Shirley told her. "It says right there in the fine print!"

"Hmm?" Norma looked at the fine print. "Well, whaddaya know? It does say that."

"Told you!"

"In that case, Teach and Hattie can be a couple, and G-Girl and I can be a couple."

The group nodded in agreement.

"Well, let's start getting ready!" Norma called.

The group calmly left the house, leaving Will and Harriet alone.

"Okay, Dad," Harriet said. "If you're going to take me to the banquet, there's a few manners that you need to learn."

Will looked at her oddly. "Harriet, I'm an adult. I know how to behave myself."

"Look, mister, I don't care how old you are. If you're gonna be _my_ date, then you're gonna live by _my_ rules!"

"But Harriet, this is just—"

Harriet cut him off. "I don't wanna hear it! Now go to your room!"

Will gave an exasperated sigh as he turned and headed up the stairs, hanging his head.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jay sat in the living room of Quppo's house with the Oresoren.

"Is Senel really leaving the Legacy?" Quppo asked.

"That's what he says," Jay replied. "He's too attached to that new girl...I don't think he's truly in love with her. She's just stringing him along like a puppet. That's why we have to stop him. We're not letting that girl take him away..."

"So what are you going to do, Jay?" Poppo asked. "Ors..."

Before Jay could respond, there was a knock on the door. As he went to answer it, his eyes opened wide. "Chloe!?"

"Jay..." Chloe stepped inside. "We need your help."

"Is this about Sadie?"

"Sort of. It's about the banquet tonight. Since it's for couples only, we all have to go in pairs. So Norma has assigned you to be my...partner."

"Me?" Jay asked. "What about Moses?"

"He's going with Shirley."

"O-Oh..."

"Jay, this could be our only chance to stop Coolidge from leaving the Legacy. Please!"

Jay turned away, apparently pondering. Chloe waited for his answer, fidgeting with her hands.

"Please, Jay!" she cried. "If Coolidge leaves, it'll ruin everything that we've built up all this time. You know that as well as I do."

Jay let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, fine...if you're that desperate."

Chloe sighed with relief. "Thank you!"

"But on one condition," Jay threw in. "Just make sure that I don't have to wear a dress."

Chloe laughed sheepishly. "Of course! You can wear whatever you like...but it has to be formal."

"Right." Jay recalled the flyer. "Formal apparel required."

"Great," Chloe said. "Well, I'm going to go, uh...go, uh..."

"A-wandering?" Quppo asked.

"Change!" Chloe corrected. "I'll be back soon."

She turned and left the house. Jay sighed yet again.

"Well, I guess I'd better get ready. I still can't believe I'm being dragged into this."

"Don't worry, Jay," Poppo said. "At least you don't have to wear a dress. Ors!"

"Yeah...at the _very_ least..." Jay went upstairs to his room.

------------------

In the Misty Mountain hideout, Moses pounded on the bedroom door.

"Shirley, would ya hurry up already? We ain't got all day! Come on!"

Shirley opened the door, revealing her lingerie and underskirt. "Moses, can't you wait more than a minute for anything!?"

"No..." Moses looked at her undergarments. "Hey, you ain't even dressed!"

"That's because you kept rushing me, you moron! Now, will you let me finish getting dressed?"

"Sure!" Moses started to walk into the bedroom, but Shirley slammed the door in his face. "Hey! I thought maybe we'd go in there together? Huh?"

When he heard no response from within, Moses shrugged and waited by the door again. Five minutes later, Shirley came out, fully dressed.

"I'm ready!" she called, spinning around once. "How do I look?"

"Ooh, nice," Moses grinned.

Shirley looked at him and frowned. "Moses...you're not even dressed yet."

"Huh?" Moses looked down, realizing that he was still wearing his bandit equipment and baggy zebra pants. "Well, that's okay. I can get dressed in a flash! Just gimme five minutes!"

He dashed into the next bedroom, slamming the door. Shirley sighed as she stood there, but then a smile crossed her face. She approached the door calmly, then pounded on it.

"Hey, hurry up in there!" she called.

"Hold up, woman; I'm busy!" Moses called back.

Shirley giggled as she waited by the door. It took another five minutes for Moses to get ready. He then came out, wearing his blue jacket and white pants.

"Now we're ready for that banquet!" Moses held out his arm for Shirley. "Shall we?"

Shirley took his arm with a smile. "Let's shall."

----------------

At the inn, Norma and Grune emerged from separate rooms, dressed in their formal attire. They slowly marched into the hall like military soldiers. They met in front of the stairs, facing each other, still marching in place.

"We're going to the party!" Norma sang.

"We're going to the party!" Grune echoed.

"To win a battle hearty!"

"To win a battle hearty!"

"We're gonna show that Sadie!"

"We're gonna show that Sadie!"

"That we're the better ladies!"

"That we're the better ladies!"

"Sound off!" Norma sang.

"One, two..." Grune added.

"Sound off!"

"Three, four..."

"One, two, three, four, one, two...let's go!"

The pair stopped marching, still facing each other.

"Left..._face_!" Norma ordered.

She and Grune both turned to their left. However, since they had been facing each other, Norma was facing the staircase, while Grune was facing the wall behind it.

"Oops..." Norma muttered. "G-Girl. About..._face_!"

Grune turned around to face the stairs.

"Forward..._march_!" Norma ordered.

They marched down the stairs to the door.

"G-Girl..._halt_!"

Norma stopped, but Grune marched right into the door. She tipped backwards, hitting the floor with a thud. Norma knelt down over her.

"For future reference, halt means stop."

"Ohh..." Grune lay in a daze on the floor. "Halt means stop..."

Norma stood up again, straightening herself. "Ten..._hut_!"

Grune stood up, straightening herself next to Norma.

"Open..._door_!" Norma called.

Grune reached out, opening the door.

"Forward..._march_!"

Norma and Grune began to march out the door.

"Hut, two, three, four, hut, two, three, four..."

---------------------------

Will came out of his room wearing his blue formal suit. As he went downstairs, he found Harriet pouting in the living room.

"Well, it sure took you long enough!" she scolded.

Will sighed. "Harriet, it didn't take me that long."

"Oh, whatever," Harriet said. "You'll learn your manners yet."

"Manners? I told you, I'm a full-grown adult. I know my manners."

"That's what you think! Your old age belies your gruff manners. You may think you're all great because you're a sheriff and all, but you know nothing about how to treat a lady."

"I beg your pardon?" Will protested. "Did you forget that I am your father? You're undermining my authority as a parent. Therefore, you should learn a few manners on how to treat your parents. I trust that you treated your mother with respect before she died?"

"Of course I did! What do you think I am?"

"Then I expect you to show me that same respect. I am the only parent that you have now. And you are my only child. That's why we must respect each other. Do you understand?"

"Well..." Harriet found herself at a loss for words. "I...guess so."

"Good." Will held out his hand. "Are we ready?"

Harriet straightened herself. "I'm ready."

With that, the father and daughter left the house, heading to the banquet.

-----------------

As the sun was setting, there was a long line at the back of the inn. A group of soldiers stood at the entrance, making sure that the guests were entering as couples. The party got together in line to discuss their plan.

"Let's see..." Norma looked everyone over. "It looks like we're all here. Teach and Hattie, Red and Shirl, C and JJ, and G-Girl and myself."

"Oh my, it makes you want to dance..." Grune gushed as she spun around. "Rolling, rolling, whee!"

"Don't worry, G-Girl, we'll be sure to dance later."

"Let's not forget why we came here," Shirley pointed out.

"That's right," Chloe said. "We're here to get Coolidge back."

Will let out a sigh. "Well, you can at least try to enjoy yourselves while you're at it.

Norma gasped. "You're right, Teach! We need to have fun! We don't want Senny and that girl to know why we're here. So we have to act natural!"

Moses looked at Jay. "Hey Jay...yer not gonna wear yer dress?"

Jay glared at him. "No! I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a dress again!"

"And I expect all of you to be on your best behavior!" Harriet ordered. "Do you understand?"

"Uh...yes, ma'am," the group responded in unison.

Shirley looked towards the front of the line. "Oh, just look at those two..."

Senel and Sadie were standing farther up in line. Sadie had her arms hooked around Senel, while resting her head on his shoulder.

"Oh Senel, this is so exciting, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah..." Senel replied. "Though formality isn't my strong suit..."

"This is going to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship, don't you think? I'll help you get over that last relationship you had. What was her name again?"

"Stella..."

"Oh yeah. I'll help you get over her. I'm sure it was painful to lose her like that."

"Very painful..." Senel admitted.

"Well, we're almost to the entrance," Sadie pointed out. "Are you ready?"

Senel nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Then let's go."

After checking in with the Rexalian guards, the pair entered the banquet.

"Okay, remember, guys," Norma reminded the group. "We want to have fun, and catch Senny's attention. Are you with me?"

"Yeah," the others responded.

"Forward..._march_!"

The party patiently waited to get to the front of the line, then checked into the banquet with the Rexalian guards.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

The inn was decorated just right for the banquet. The room was dimly lit with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The tables all had silky white covers. Each table had a candle sitting in the center to further illuminate the room. Each couple sat at the round tables, and were served an exquisite meal.

Moses was trying his best to use his manners. But as a bandit, he was quite unaccustomed to using silverware. He merely picked up his meat, and ripping it apart with his teeth.

"Moses!" Shirley said softly.

"Uh...oops." Moses set his meat down, wiping his hands clean with the napkin. "Sorry 'bout that."

Picking up the silverware, Moses held the fork in his fist. He stuck the fork into the meat, picking it up and attempting to put it into his mouth.

"Moses, it would help if you cut it up first," Shirley told him.

"Cut it up?" Moses asked. "How do I do that?"

Shirley stuck her fork into her steak. "You stick the fork into your food to hold it in place, and then you cut it with your knife, like this."

She demonstrated by cutting through her steak, while holding it in place with her fork.

"O-Okay..." Moses stammered, following her technique. He began to cut through his meat as well.

"There you go," Shirley smiled. "And then you eat it like this."

She stuck her fork into a small piece of steak, putting into her mouth.

"Okay, that's easy." Moses picked up a piece of his meat with his fork also, putting it into his mouth. "Mm, tasty!"

Shirley gave him another smile as she began to cut her steak some more.

Moses cut his meat some more, then offered a piece to Shirley. "Taste this."

"Uh..." Shirley paused. "No thank you, I'm fine."

"Come on, taste this!" Moses insisted.

"Moses, that is pigeon."

"Listen..." Moses pointed to Shirley's steak. "That is cow! Now taste this!"

"Al I can think of are the pigeons outside the window."

"Those are the rejects. Now, did you know that when you're eating a steak, you're eating a cow's butt?"

Shirley gasped. "Moses, please..."

"Just take a little bite!"

"Oh...all right." Shirley took the bite from the bandit's fork. "Mm, that's not bad!"

"Yeah. Want another bite?"

"No..."

"Come on...you've gotta be dying for another bite."

"I do not want another bite!" Shirley glared at the bandit, her eyes showing her seriousness.

Moses finally conceded. "Okay..."

He paused, watching as Shirley continued to cut her steak.

"Well, could I have a bite of your steak?" he asked.

Shirley looked at him with a half-smile. "You don't like yours?"

"This is pigeon," Moses reminded her.

Shirley sighed. "I don't know why you went through all of that. If you wanted some steak, all you had to do was ask."

She placed a piece of her steak in Moses' plate, then began to cut it up. Moses waited, then placed his hands behind his head, and put his feet up on the table. Shirley appeared not to notice as she continued to cut his steak.

"Shirley..." Moses finally said. "What the hell are you doing?"

Shirley laughed softly as she pulled her silverware back. "I just had the urge to cut someone's meat..."

"Yeah, I know that feelin'," Moses said. "Y'know, we're very fortunate to have met Sadie. Otherwise, we'd never know the joy of makin' her miserable."

"Yeah...oh!"

"Hm? What's up, Shirley?"

"I just had another urge. I just wish I could tell her to just...shut up!"

"Oh, well, you can tell me."

"Oh no, I don't want to tell you."

"No, no, just say to me, 'Shut up!'"

"No, Moses, I'm not going to tell you."

"Listen, let it out! If you've got a 'shut up' inside, and it'll make you feel better, just let it out. 'Shut up!'"

"You are crazy!" Shirley burst out giggling.

"No, I ain't kiddin'!" Moses stopped to ponder. "I know. How about if I pretend to be Sadie?"

"Well, I don't know..."

"Okay, how about this." Moses spoke in a falsetto voice, pretending to be Sadie. "Oh Senel, you're so handsome, I just wanna run away with you..."

"Shut up!" Shirley ordered.

"There ya go!" Moses said. "Does that feel better?"

"Ah...yes."

"Here, lemme think of another one." Moses spoke in the falsetto voice again. "Oh Senel, let's go to the mainland and have babies, la la la..."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Shirley spat.

"Shut up, shut up..." Moses burst out laughing, and Shirley soon followed suit.

Just then, one of the waiters walked by. Moses and Shirley quickly pulled themselves together. Moses picked up his soda, drinking as gracefully as he knew how. Shirley dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin. After the waiter had walked by, they shot a glance at the table where Sadie and Senel sat.

_I wonder what they're talking about?_ Shirley thought to herself.

"So, Senel..." Sadie mused. "Tell me about the other women in your life. Like the women in your little group."

"Well...it's a long story," Senel told her.

"That's all right. We do have all the time in the world, you know."

"Well, that's true. Well, Shirley is Stella's sister. Three years ago, when the village was attacked, I managed to escape with Shirley, and we thought Stella had died back then. Only after we came onto the Legacy, we learned that Stella was still alive...but then she died for real shortly after. Back then, Shirley was timid and frail...but after Stella's death, Shirley began working to become stronger. Chloe and I taught her self-defense, and she's caught on very well. Lately I've been seeing more of Stella in her. But we'll only be as close as siblings."

"I see," Sadie said. "And how about that Chloe woman? She seems quite attached to you as well."

"Well, we met her shortly after coming to the Legacy. She's stuck with me during the tough times. She's helped both me and Shirley. So she'll always be our friend. Yet sometimes I just don't get her."

"Yes...I wonder what she meant when she said that you should stay together with your group."

"Well..." Senel looked away, apparently pondering.

Sadie tilted her head. "You're not having second thoughts, are you? You won't regret leaving the Legacy to be with me, will you?"

"No, of course not," Senel told her. "It's just...I'm going to miss the others."

"I'll tell you what. How about if we come back to visit them from time to time?"

Senel smiled. "Yeah...I'd like that."

Meanwhile, Jay and Chloe sat at their table, merely poking at the food in their plates. Jay stared at his food, drumming his fingers on the table. Chloe continued to poke at the food with her fork. They avoided eye contact with each other.

_There has to be something we can talk about..._ Chloe thought to herself.

Jay finally broke the silence, giving her an annoyed look. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with your food?"

Chloe returned the look. "Well, there's a way to break the ice," she said sarcastically. "How did I end up getting stuck with you?"

"Well, you can thank Norma's superior matchmaking skills. But if you want, we can make a trade. You can go with Moses, and I'll take Shirley."

Chloe looked over at Moses and Shirley's table. "Date a bandit? I'm not that desperate. Besides, my station would never allow it."

"Ah, yes...I suppose knights and Alliance marines match up pretty well, don't they?"

Chloe merely blushed at the remark. Jay went back to his meal, taking a bite from his steak.

"This actually tastes pretty good," he said with a smile.

"R-Really?" Chloe went to see for herself, taking a bite from her steak as well. "Oh...you're right!"

Jay then shot a glance at Senel and Sadie. "Well, it won't do to just have fun. Our objective is to distract Senel."

"Right. So...what do we do?"

"Hm...I'll have to think about that. In the meantime, could you pass the please, peas?"

Jay's eyes widened as he froze. _Oh Nerifes, what just came out of my mouth? Should I have said, "Could you please pass the peas?"_

"Sure..." Chloe handed him the peas.

Meanwhile, Will was trying to be on his best behavior, or at the very least, trying to satisfy his picky daughter. But so far, he was having very little luck in that. He placed one napkin in his lap, while tucking another napkin in his collar. Placing his left hand in his lap, he began to eat with the fork in his right hand, taking small bites.

Harriet sighed. "Oh Dad, you're so hopeless."

Will let out a sigh of his own. "You're just impossible to please, aren't you? Well, there goes my dream..."

"Your dream? What are you talking about?"

"Do you remember what I told you my dream was?"

"Oh yeah, your dream was to capture every monster—no, wait! You said your dream was to smack the daylights out of the man who asked for my hand!"

"That's right. But at this rate, no man would ever do that."

Harriet pouted. "How could you say that!?"

"I'm only stating the truth," Will told her. "You're too busy trying to change people to suit your tastes. If the man was really meant to be your lover, you wouldn't have to change him."

"Oh...yeah." Harriet scratched her head. "I guess you do have a point..."

"So you should stop picking on my manners," Will went on. "I do the best I can, but I feel absolutely silly overworking on my manners."

"Okay, Dad...I'll try to forgive your little mistakes."

Will smiled now. "I will have you know that I did learn a few ways of the court. For instance, I've developed some renown as a fabulous dancer."

Harriet raised an eye at him for a moment. She then dropped her head onto the table, laughing hysterically. The laughter seemed to pierce Will's ears, and carry out throughout the room. Harriet lifted her head and leaned backwards, tipping the chair over to the floor.

Will let out a sigh. "Harriet..."

Harriet continued to roll on the floor laughing, and soon the entire room was looking at her.

"You...a dancer!?" she exclaimed. "That's the most hilarious thing I've ever heard!"

"Harriet..." Will said again.

Harriet tried to pick herself up, only to drop to the floor again, still laughing riotously.

"I wonder what's so funny?" Shirley said.

"I didn't know Will had a sense of humor," Moses remarked.

"Harriet?" Senel asked. "I've never heard her laugh like that..."

"You'd think she'd learn some manners..." Sadie mused.

"What's going on over there?" Chloe asked.

"I suppose that's their way of distracting Senel," Jay replied.

"I wonder what's tickling Hattie?" Norma asked.

"Oh my..." Grune gushed. "They're having so much fun."

Harriet got back into her chair, still laughing. "Wh...where...did you ever learn to dance...?" she barely managed to ask.

Will closed his eyes as he calmly responded, "From your mother."

Harriet's laughing suddenly ceased. "Oh."

"Hey, Hattie stopped laughing!" Norma said. "Now it's our turn!"

"Hm?" Grune asked. "Oh...what were we doing?"

"We're here to get Senny back from that girl, remember?" Norma told her. "We're supposed to show her that we're better than her."

"Oh yes...we're the best."

Norma stood up. "Oh, G-Girl, hold me!"

Grune stood up as well. "Hold you?"

"Yes, G-Girl..." Norma replied, faking tears. "I...I feel so...sad..."

"Oh, you poor thing, Norma..." Grune walked up to her, gently embracing her.

"Aw..." Several of the guests in the banquet stared at them.

Senel was also staring at them. "Norma?"

"Oh, whatever," Sadie spat. "It's nothing we should concern ourselves with. Right, Senel?"

Senel turned back to her. "Right."

Shirley gasped. "Oh Nerifes...Norma and Grune are getting their attention. We have to do something!"

"I got it!" Moses moved his chair away from the table. "Bring yer chair over here."

"Okay..." Shirley brought her chair out, setting it next to Moses' chair.

Moses sat in his chair, patting his lap. "Here, put yer head in my lap."

"Oh, okay!" Shirley sat sideways in her chair, carefully leaning back, resting her head in Moses' lap. "How's this?"

"Perfect!" Moses began to stroke her head softly. "So...do ya think we'll get Senel back?"

"We have to...we just have to," Shirley replied. "Like you said, Sadie's just stringing him along. We can't let her do that."

"That's right. We gotta make Senel hot for us," Moses agreed.

Senel shot a glance at them. "What's Shirley doing with Moses?" he thought.

"Great...we have to do something..." Chloe hissed to no one in particular.

Jay sighed. "I didn't want to do this, but I can't think of anything else at the moment..."

He pulled out a blue comb, handing it to Chloe.

"What's this?" she asked, confused.

Jay gave her an annoyed look. "It's a comb. I thought all women knew that."

Chloe scoffed. "Of course I know what it is!"

"Then why did you ask?"

"I just...oh, never mind! What am I supposed to do with this!?"

"Hm...to put it in the knights' language..." Jay replied, "I'm giving you the honor of combing my hair."

Chloe's eyes widened. "Wh...what?"

Jay began to remove the hairbands that kept his ponytail in place. "I don't do this for just anyone, so I expect you to be most grateful."

"Oh, I...of course I'm grateful!"

After letting down his long hair, Jay turned his chair around, his back to Chloe, letting his hair fall behind the chair. "All right...I'm ready when you are."

Chloe froze for a moment, then positioned her chair behind him. Then, sitting in the chair, she began to move the comb slowly through the boy's fine hair. Jay merely closed his eyes, folding his hands in his lap.

"I used to have long hair like this..." Chloe whispered to herself.

"Hm?" Jay responded.

Chloe's eyes widened. "You heard that?"

"My ears do more than frame my face, you know. So you say you used to have long hair?"

"Yes...when I was younger. I cut it short when I became a knight."

"I see..."

Senel happened to notice them as well. "Chloe? What is she doing?"

Sadie shot them a glance as Jay waved his hair backwards, leaning his head backwards and letting his hair hang even lower. "Well, that's interesting..."

Chloe continued to comb and fondle Jay's hair for a few more minutes. She then attempted to put it back into the ponytail, but the result was rather sloppy.

"Hm...not bad," Jay remarked.

"S-Sorry..." Chloe mused.

Jay released the ponytail again, then pulled his hair back together, putting it back in its normal ponytail. "Much better..."

At that moment, one of the waiters stepped onto the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, in just a few minutes, the formal dance will begin. Following the dance, we will have the performance from the Bantam Bouncers."

"Oh boy, it's dance time!" Norma exclaimed. "Now we'll show her! Right, G-Girl?"

Grune raised her fist. "Charge!"

"Ooh, a dance!" Sadie gushed. "I can hardly wait!"

_This is the part that scares me_, Senel thought. _I hope I don't screw this up..._

"Ladies and gentlemen, the dance is about to begin," the waiter announced. "Now if you'll just get with your partner, the music will begin shortly."

"Huh?" Moses looked up as the party guests began to stand up and embrace their partners. "Ya mean it's that kind of dance? But that's so dull and borin'."

Shirley stood up and reached out to him. "Come on, Moses!"

Moses shrugged. "Well, why not?" He stood up and embraced Shirley.

Senel stood up slowly, and Sadie stood in front of him.

"Okay, I have no idea what I'm doing here..." Senel admitted.

"You take my hand like this," Sadie explained, taking Senel's hand, "and then put your other hand on my lower back. Then I put my other hand behind your shoulder."

"Oh, I see. Thanks, Sadie."

Will and Harriet were also standing up for the dance.

"Okay, Dad," Harriet said. "Now I'll see just what you know about dancing."

"Don't worry," Will replied. "I'm feeling pretty confident about this one."

Harriet shrieked as Will placed his hand on her back. "Watch where you touch me!"

"Sorry..." Will said. "It is a bit awkward dancing with a shorter person..."

"Oh, don't make any excuses..."

"So we embrace our partner like this..." Chloe muttered as she carefully embraced Jay.

Jay carefully returned the embrace, putting his arm around her back, but not daring to lay his hand on her. He placed his other hand in Chloe's, but refused to squeeze.

_I know what comes next..._ Jay thought. _Oh bother..._


End file.
